It's the Day After
by Birdyyy
Summary: ...and Prim has never felt like she wanted to cry so much. A look into what Prim felt the day after Katniss was reaped.


**_Author's Notes:_ This is my first venture into this fandom... Hope I didn't insult it or anything. And that I got all my facts right, at least. This is basically a piece on what Prim felt like after Katniss was reaped. I also wanted to explore the relationship between Prim and Katniss. Please review and enjoy. :)**  
><strong>-Birdy <strong>

**_Disclaimer:_ I don't own anything. **

* * *

><p>It's the day after, and Prim has never felt like she wanted to cry so much.<p>

Not since that accident in the mine, not since she realized that her mom was slipping away, not since she found out that they were going to survive (but those were tears of happiness), because Katniss, the leader of their family, was _smartbraveamazing_ and they were going to make it because of her.

And now she was gone.

Gone.

_(and she doesn't know what to do)_

* * *

><p>She doesn't really want to go to school.<p>

_There are too many people,_ she tells her mom, _They'll stare at me and pity me._

But _really_?

She's afraid that she'll break down and cry.

And _honestly_?

She won't really mind if she does.

She's not ashamed.

_(but she wants to stay strong for her sister, even if Katniss can't see her)_

* * *

><p>Prim does go to school.<p>

It wasn't her first choice, and the weather is actually not bad, and she feels like she's betraying her sister by noticing the small bits of joy and beauty in the world.

The chirps of the birds, the pretty white clouds that look like they're floating in the blue sky.

She doesn't see Gale when she walks to school (traipse would describe it better, actually) and he isn't by his usual spot where he likes to wait for Katniss and her if they're late or he's early.

_(she wonders if he has as much courage as he likes to think he does)_

* * *

><p>Some of her friends have been avoiding her ever since the reaping (even though it was less than 24 hours ago), and when she walks down the hallway, heads turn and there's a moment of silence, before chatter begins again.<p>

Prim walks down the hallway alone. She doesn't want to see anyone. Doesn't want to see their pity in their eyes, the forced cheerfulness on their faces, or the stares.

Especially the stares.

Prim avoids everyone's eyes, preferring to look down at her shoes. They're dirty and smudged with coal dust, just like everything in this district.

It just reminds her of how Katniss hated it so much and how she's moving farther and farther away from everything they've ever known.

She doesn't know if she'll ever come back.

Prim hopes, though.

_(but sometimes it's not enough)_

She knows that Katniss would hate the Capitol, with all the constantly changing fashion trends and laughable accents. She knows that Katniss will be missing everything about home.

Prim knows Katniss better than her sister would think. She just doesn't like to make her worry.

_(Prim wonders if Katniss misses coal dust now)_

* * *

><p>So far, she hasn't cried.<p>

Not a single tear.

She's actually quite disappointed with herself, because honestly, if she cared about her sister, wouldn't she cry?

It would mean that she had emotions and that everything that had happened was real, and she wouldn't feel like she was a hollow shell.

_(maybe, she thinks, I am a shell)_

* * *

><p>Some of the braver of her friends follow her around for the entire day.<p>

They treat her like glass.

_Leave me alone,_ she wants to tell them.

But she knows it's not fair.

_(she lets them stay by her side)_

* * *

><p>Prim has history that day. And there's nothing else that they can talk about in history but the Games.<p>

If there was a time that she'd been expecting herself to break down and start crying, then it would've been during history.

She doesn't though.

The teacher goes on and on about some game that happened long ago, and all Prim can do is stare blankly at her desk, try to make herself feel tears behind her eyes, absolutely oblivious to her surroundings.

_(the teacher lets her)_

* * *

><p>It's lunch and all Prim can do is sit on the bench, arms limp by her sides.<p>

Her head is facing downwards, and her eyes are focused on the tray in front of her, however even that seems blurred compared to what's going on in her mind.

_My sister is going to die._

_And I can't do anything about it._

Tears don't come.

Prim looks up, and notices faces turning away, eyes and gazes flitting away to other places.

She doesn't feel anything.

_(and she hates herself for it)_

* * *

><p>The bell rings, and people run out of school, celebrating that the day is over.<p>

It doesn't seem right that there is still happiness in the world.

Her friends try to stay and comfort her, but she tells them that she needs time by herself so she can think.

_(and try to make herself feel something, so she won't feel like a stupidworthlesspathetic traitor, but she's not going to admit that)_

* * *

><p>Prim finds Gale halfway home.<p>

She didn't expect to see him, as she thought that he would probably be out hunting all day, trying to distract himself from the thought of, _Katniss is going to die and I can't do anything about it._

They walk together in silence for a few minutes, until she stops and suddenly grasps his wrist.

He's silent, but when he turns his head to look at her, she sees his lips crack into the tiniest of smiles, and his grey Seam eyes (_they look just like Katniss's,_ she thinks) meet her blue ones and they have a small spark in them again.

_There's still hope._

That's what they say to each other, silently, because they don't need words.

Some messages are too _important_, too _simple_, too _easy,_ to be understood without words.

Then they part ways.

_(Prim's heart feels lighter than it has since the reaping)_

* * *

><p>The rest of the way home, she doesn't meet anyone.<p>

Prim is happy about that. But it doesn't seem right to use that word anymore.

She lets her feet wander down the road, not really caring where she's going, and stops abruptly. The wind blows and ruffles her blonde hair, and she makes a sharp turn.

Prim takes long strides down the road, going back the way she came from, and her shoulders are set back, her eyes sharp, her jaw set.

She quickly reaches her destination and Prim stands for a moment, captivated by the bright flowers dotting the green grass.

The blue sky and white puffy clouds are still hanging over the world, and she thinks to herself about how beautiful it is.

It's peaceful and Prim thinks that it's just _so unbelievably wrong,_ because _Katniss is being sent to her death and she has a one out of twenty-four chance of coming back._

But it doesn't matter, because Gale has helped her see that they will all make it through this. And so will Katniss.

_(and she finally sinks to her knees and tears start dripping out of her blue eyes)_


End file.
